The psychological benefits of coming out (though for Latino gay men, it may not matter much)

There are well-documented struggles of being a gay man who’s in the closet, depression and anxiety chief among them. Indeed, according to a recent study, life could significantly improve for those who are able to sit their parents down and express their true identity—unless, that is, that person is Latino.

At issue, Adrian Villicana, Kevin Delucio, and Monica Biernat write in the journal Self and Identity, is how gay men form healthy identities. While psychologists’ understanding of that process is a little murky, most researchers think that coming out—specifically, verbally disclosing the fact that one is gay—is an essential part of identity development.

There is evidence that being able to say “I’m gay” out loud is both an indicator that someone’s comfortable with their sexual orientation and a powerful action in itself. Verbal disclosure is associated with more social support; verbally coming out can boost self-esteem and well-being.